March Madness

My kind of madness

I've had 2 unsuccesful trips chasing stripes so far this month, but today was my day. Its already been an intersting month with warm temps, Forsythia's are popping already, the ospreys are back, all signs stripers should be nearby.

Both fish took large(7"-8") tented wing patterns, and I sadly lost both to the oyster beds.

Hey Mickey!

I was humming this tune to myself after hooking the first fish of the season this afternoon. I got on the water around 2, lots of stoneflies coming off, some fish rising. I started swinging a black bugger, then indicator nymphing, then a couple dry flies, all with no luck. I was just about ready to call it a day, when I saw a small Mickey Finn in my box I tied last year, so I decided to try it out. First cast, wham, fish on, the first of 2012. I got 3 more, and finally lost the beat up fly to a tree on an errant roll cast. Final tally on the day was one brown and 3 rainbows, all of which provided nice little aerial shows. It is great to be out this early in the year catching fish.

Crab apple variant

I was having a chat with a buddy about crab patterns, which got me to looking at the crab apple tied originally by John Morin. This is my take on it.
Owner AKI 3/0 hook
spirit river eyes
tan cross cut rabit
Pheasant claws and carapace
dry fly hackle legs
3 dumbells to sink like a stone
clear cure goo over carapace

Variant

same recipe as below, except arctic fox zonker under marabou in golden olive

Yo David!

I was at Compleat Angler today gettin a few things and showing some recent ties. I was inspired by a tie left by Mr. Nelson, I really loved the profile and movement, it also weighs next to nothing. Thanks for the inspiration, we gotta fish these this spring.
I had to whip up something similar for my quiver.
3/0 Mustad c68sz
bucktail high tie
white cashmere goat
ice wing
uv polar chenille palmered along shank
finn raccoon spun in a loop and wound
marabou collar doubled and palmered
JC eyes

Pheasant shell crab variant

So I've had some time at the vise recently, I've been in this mode of combining elements from different flies, Here is the first of a few:

modern bugger

I came across a blog recently that had a step by step for this pattern, I liked it so much I had to tie one up to swing to hungry fall trout today. I got one nice brown on a black wooly bugger, and there was a lull in the action. I tied on this modern bugger variant and on the second swing I got a savage pull, but no one was home.

And another

Man these fish are cool!

I found him 9/17

I set out on a journey to find fat albert, who has eluded me in the past. Well I found him! My buddy Harold and I hit the road at 530am on saturday morning and headed up to the border of RI and CT. We were one of what seemed like a hundred boats, it was very tough fishing. Cant wait for my next taste. The intensity and speed of these hardtails is amazing!

small baits

I tied these 2 with fat albert on my mind, but I think I will swim them tonight for a striped audience.
Mustad c68sz size 1
White BT high tie
Anchovy blend SF blend high tie(very sparse)
4 turns of medium red palmer chenille
Arctic fox wing and throat
Senyos laser dub and JC
Hard as nails to coat and tame